Draft:Joekels

Joekels Tea Packers was founded in 1994 by Joe Swart, an accountant and Jonathan Kelsey, a qualified tea taster. Kelsey, the company's tea blender, is the only South African tea taster with an insured tongue.^[9][10][11]

With limited resources, the pair combined their skills and finances, working from Joe's mom's garage using a domestic cement mixer (nicknamed 'Old Faithful') to blend the tea.^[12][13][14]

The company started with five staff members and one brand, Phendula Tips, tea meaning 'to turn around' in Zulu, mirroring the nation's transformation. This launched in 1994.^[15]

In 2003, Joekels bought Laager Rooibos, the second-oldest Rooibos brand in the world.^[3] Joekels founded the first-ever children's tea in South Africa in 2001 with its Laager Tea4Kidz brand (originally Phendula Tea4Kidz). They went on to launch two variants with added Vitamin C.^[15][16]

In 2006, FMCG firm Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL) acquired 33 per cent of shares in Joekels Tea Packers and later purchased a majority share.^[17] Tata Consumer Products Overseas Holdings Ltd (TCP Overseas) - a step-down wholly-owned subsidiary of the company through Tata Consumer Products UK Group - purchased the share capital from its Joint-Venture partners.^[18][19][7]

In 2023, Tata Consumer Products Ltd acquired an additional 23.3 per cent stake in Joekels Tea Packers for US$5.28m. As a result of the acquisition, the holding of TCP Overseas in Joekels increased from 51.7 per cent to 75 per cent of the equity share capital. The remaining 25 per cent stake is held by the Joint-Venture partners. The acquisition includes Joekels' seven local brands, including Laager Rooibos and Tetley Green Tea.^[20][21]

Rooibos is only grown in one region worldwide - the Cederberg in the Western Cape. In 2016, a drought in the region created a Rooibos shortage that led to a significant price increase in the Rooibos segment.^[9][22]

• Tetley